Top Hotels And Resorts For Families in Australia

Preschoolers Family Kids Mums & Bubs Teens

By Phoebe Ackland, ellaslist

Holidaying with the whole clan means you need to choose your hotel carefully- making sure there’s adequate entertainment to keep the kids happy, and therefore, parents happy! Here are some of the top rated hotels and resorts around Australia for families, perfectly suitable for kids of all ages, and all kinds of budgets.

1. Fairmont Resort, Blue Mountains

Found in the Blue Mountain’s beautiful Leura and just a 90 minute drive from Sydney, the Fairmont is our top pick for family friendly luxury. From the high ceiling-ed foyer with a wood burning fire in the Winter, to the Merry Go Round, ten pin bowling alley, and mirror maze arcade in the Kidzone- this is sure to relax and bring a smile to every member of the family. Check out our complete Fairmont guide here.

2. Sea World Resort, Main Beach, QLD

The Sea World Resort is consistently rated a favourite for children and families. There is so much to see and do, including the beloved Spongebob themed aquatic adventure playground. The awesome Kids Club has Dora the Explorer themed games, a movie theatre, face painting, the latest XBOX 360 games, and a nightly LED light show where kids can dance to their favourite Spongebob songs under a musical water fountain. This is the stuff of kids dreams- and with extremely occupied and happy children, it’s the stuff of parents dreams too.

3. Sunraysia Resort, Mildura

In north-west Melbourne on the Murray River is the affordable Sunraysia Resort in a location known for its wineries, restaurants, and array of leisure and cultural activities. There are a heap of facilities for kids, including half-sized tennis courts, pools, mini golf, sandpits, table tennis and an arcade games room. Spacious rooms and a stunning natural backdrop, it definitely has earned a spot on our list.

4. BreakFree Aanuka Beach, Coffs Harbour

BreakFree on the north coast of NSW is a tropical style resort where relaxation meets recreation. Kids will love the outdoor rock pool with slide, a kids pool and play area, cave spas, mini golf, tennis courts, beach volleyball, and a beach close by. There are 6 different room types to choose from, and all are light and bright.

5. Treasure Island NRMA Holiday Park, Gold Coast

When it comes to family holidays, BIG4 does it well. Close to all the great theme parks like Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World and Wet n Wild, the whole family will enjoy activities like the Shipwreck Shores Waterpark, Pirate Mini Golf, one of three resort pools, or tennis. Parents can escape whilst the kids are having fun at the Kidz Korner (which runs 364 days a year), where they can jump on a giant pillow, ride on go-karts or use the play centre. Central to golden beaches and awesome shopping- there’s more entertainment than kids could ever hope for.

6. Coconut Holiday Resort, Cairns

In case you hadn’t realised yet, Queensland seems to be the place to go for family holidays with a heap of kids entertainment, and the Coconut Holiday Resort is one of the better ones. Kids can run around on 28 acres of lush lawns with palm trees, the ultimate tropical garden. From condos to cabins to villas, every family will find a nook suitable for them, and parents can get some down time when the kids are busy at the pool and waterslides, SPLASH water park, giant chess, adventure playground or nightly at the outdoor movie cinema. The Mini Coconuts area for children up to 6 years caters to tots perfectly with an indoor fun factory!

7. NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Park, Umina beach

Ocean Beach Holiday Park on the NSW central coast is surrounded by bushland, and is a gorgeous family holiday location. Breakfast at the stunning Bluebottles By The Beach Cafe is followed by a heap of activities for kids, including go karts, a TV room with the latest movies, giant jumping pillows, bike riding on 25 hectares of land, or a Tractor Ride for a more relaxing way to get around the grounds. Coral the Mermaid can even sometimes be found lounging in the pool, and she loves taking photos with little hotel guests, as well as her friends Patch the Pirate Monkey, Finn the Surfing Dolphin, and Millie the Kangaroo.

8. Blue Gum Motor Inn, Dubbo

Simple, affordable and effective, the Blue Gum Motor Inn gets the job done for family holidays. It’s family-owned, with Dubbo’s famous hospitality giving a smile to every guest. It’s just a 10 minute drive from Dubbo Zoo, and kids will of course naturally spend a load of time by the pool.

9. Paradise Resort, Gold Coast

Paradise Resort could fool you into believing it was created by a child as their dream home. There are so many kids activities, they won’t be able to fit it all in. There’s a water park, and the best part? The supervised kids club for 0-12 year olds, where kids will venture into the Space Room, Captain’s Underwater World, Leonardo’s Painting Room, the Egyptian Room, Astro’s Space Station, Dusty’s Safari, Krazy 4 Kraft, the Magic Garden, and the Junior Adventure Park. Kids especially will have the time of their young lives.

10. Cocos Beach Bungalows, Broome

The “Pearlers” bungalows at Cocos Beach are self-contained and in a beautiful garden setting- this is the ideal destination for a family who wants to relax in Western Australia. Kids will enjoy the pool and nearby beach (where you can go camel riding!), as well as the several restaurants spots within walking distance including Japanese, Malaysian, seafood, and the Sunset Bar and Grill overlooking Cable Beach. It will feel like your family’s very own tropical island.

11. BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort

Perfect accommodation for families at the gorgeous Airlie Beach. This resort features a lagoon-style pool, 26 acres of Botanic-like tropical gardens and a kid's club with a dedicated toddler time for little ones, and games for 4-12-year-olds including Wii nights on their super duper big screen, discos under the stars, mini golf tournaments, canvas painting, outdoor movies, sand art making, family trivia nights and so much more. The HIGHLIGHT, however, is their brand new MEGA waterslide park, featuring tipping buckets, jets, cannons and 13 water slides projecting off a 2-metre tall platform in a rainbow of colours for seriously splashtastic fun.